Until Death Do Us Part
by Delusive Longan
Summary: [AU] [SaturosAgatio, SaturosAlex] People make mistakes. That's all I need to say about this story. What will the Golden Age have in store for Saturos? Rating for ... (continued inside) COMPLETED
1. Promises on a Cold Floor

A/N: Hi! Delusive Longan, here. I bet you all thought I was six feet under or somethin'. At any rate, this story contains m/m slash (otherwise known as "shonen-ai" or in more severe cases, "yaoi"). That means _homosexuality_. Still don't get the picture? It means two guys getting it on. With each other.

Ok, I think I've said enough about that. Also, lime scenes or semi-explicit sex scenes/implied sex in some chapters. There are a few curse words, but if you're tough enough to still be reading these warnings, I figure you can handle it.

Is PG-13 stretching it? You tell me.

Until Death Do Us Part

****

Delusive Longan

[Saturos POV]

__

"Frightfully cold night Saty, isn't it?" The icy cold outside may be affecting my brain, because I'm talking to myself. Another big hint is referring to myself by my nickname. I never do that.

I've been walking for hours and can no longer feel my legs. The last town I passed through was Champa (or was it Contigo?) and for some reason, I seem to be leading myself to the Jupiter Lighthouse. I honestly don't know what I'm thinking. I begin to run, just to give myself something to do. I listen to the pounding of my feet against the ground.

Walking past the doors, I choose to enter the lighthouse by means of the lowest window. I squeeze through and stand in the dimly lit foyer near the torches, trying vainly to bring heat into my body once more. 

"What are you doing here?" 

I turn around slowly. "I could ask the same of you." Agatio stands a foot in front of me and stares.

"Did you know I'd be here? And that--" 

"No idea. Where's Karst?" At this point, I am shivering so badly that I bite down on my lip, hard, though I refrain from cursing. Out of sheer politeness.

He leads me up the stairs. Once on the top floor, we walk into a small room hidden in a branching corridor. Karst lies sleeping on a pile of blankets. Agatio pulls one out and hands it to me. I wrap it around me and take comfort in its thick quilting. 

He walks to the window and looks out into the sky, presumably at the stars. 

"I thought you were dead Saturos." 

I laugh at his remark. "I should have been, I suppose…"

"Stop giving me those smart-ass responses. You're full of shit." I laugh some more; our conversation is always so forced. Either that or hostile.

Or when we're lucky, both.

I hobbled over to the window and stood behind him, head on level with his shoulder. I stared at him using the window's reflection. His expression is rather impassive, he must be thinking…

I'm certain he already knew that Menardi was dead. Or at least I confirmed it, since only one person will survive Fusion, although he may or may not have known that. That might explain why he's so angry right now. That would explain why he had taken Karst far away from our village just to seek revenge. Or Karst took him. Whatever. Hell, I didn't enjoy being beaten by those teenaged twerps, but that's what happened. No, I didn't want Menardi dead. 

But I'm selfish; that's why I'm here. Here freezing my butt off and staring at Agatio's. 

Oh yeah… nice view. Stupid time to be thinking about this, but my true self is a sick horny bastard. I try to initiate conversation so that I have something else to think about.

"I jerked off on Menardi once. It didn't do much for me. Too much like screwing Karst." He glared at me. What? What'd I say?

Did he like her or something? 

And that leaves another question to be answered: When I said "her", did he think Menardi or Karst? I snicker quietly. He doesn't ask.

"Uh… Saturos?" says Agatio hesitantly.

"Yeah? What?"

"Um… eh…"

I look at him. "Spit it out. If it's important, you might as well say it."

"Nothing."

"You don't stutter if it's nothing. Tell me."

"I miss Menardi. I also don't like your joking about her like that."

"Oh. Sorry. That's it?" I wonder.

He pauses. "I also want to know why you were staring at my ass."

"Damnit."

"You're not very discreet. You should try harder." I glare at him. I think about how to get myself out of this situation, and as I do, he watches me.

In fact, he watches me from a very close proximity. 

I reach up and trace my finger down his jaw. Agatio keeps his eyes on me the entire time. I stare back and wonder: Does this guy ever blink?

At least I know I have to. Before I can open them again I find his lips in an unexpected place…

Covering mine.

I show off my talent in disrobing others by using him as my subject. He's not too bad at it either. I toss his clothes on the floor next to his armor; he throws mine next to his. After that, my talented lover straddles me and nudges me to lie down. I can feel the cold stone floor through the blanket, but I barely notice as he kisses my neck.

I can't help but be a bit noisy as he does this. He's a wet dream come true and I say so.

"Pinch me, I'm dreaming right?"

He pinches me. Not a normal place, but hey, whatever works…

"You make too much noise," he mutters a few moments later.

"Not a turn-on?" I gasp as his hand wraps around me. He grunts.

"You'll wake Karst up."

"What's the big deal? She can join us." I receive a glare from my tormentor. I seem to be getting a lot of those as of late.

"If you don't shut up, I swear I won't take it easy." He presses his erection against my leg as if to prove his claim.

I smirk. "Who says I want you to?"

He gives me a stern look, almost harsh. "You're annoying." So matter-of-factly.

"Then why are you doing this?" I ask.

"I just need to get laid is all. You're nothing special." I finally realize this isn't a joke or a joy ride anymore, we're obviously not thinking on the same level. This is practically rape! Well, the only problem with calling it that is that it's consensual on my side…

He surprises me by turning his head and kissing me softly.

But don't get me wrong. Agatio never breaks a promise…

****

Please review, and while you do, remember that I'm human and have feelings too.


	2. Down the Stairs

A/N: The warnings are pretty much the same. Have fun.

Until Death Do Us Part

****

Delusive Longan

I woke up early, pried myself from Agatio's warm and comforting embrace and was preparing to leave when struck by a brilliant idea. I decide to wait by the window and watch, wrapped up in an invisibility cloak that I had stolen recently, as Karst got up and stretched. She walked over to where Agatio lie in peaceful slumber and interrupted it. Just as I expected.

He opens his eyes groggily and she stares at him coldly. "Wake up."

Agatio groans, which I interpret as a "No.". 

Apparently she thinks the same and repeats her command. "If you don't, I'll tell you stuff you wish I didn't know. Originally, I wasn't going to waste time wondering who you slept with or why they would bother being with you…" Her voice is smooth and icy, as always.

She's got his attention now. Got mine too.

His expression gives him away. "…I mean, I've met some women with pretty low voices, but none so irritating as this mistress. She sounded just like Saturos! How could you stand that?" She glared in my direction.

Oh crap. Is this cloak working?

"Alright, show yourself blue-skinned freak."

I shrug my cover off and stand up. "You're not what most consider normal either. I resent that freak comment."

She ignores that. "My sister's dead because of you. You know that's why I despise you. Makes sense, doesn't it? Unless you're too stupid to get it." Her words and glare are decidedly unfriendly.

Man, it's too early in the morning to be fighting a battle of wits. I yawn, feeling her eyes still on me no matter how I try to ignore it. By this time Agatio has dressed himself and I ask them what they were planning to do today. 

"I got hints from a passing Mercury Adept that Felix would be here within a few days." says Agatio.

"Well, if you could spare some time, I think we should lay down Menardi's grave. Would it be okay around here?" I ask.

"We don't have time. We wouldn't want them to pass by Jupiter Lighthouse without fighting us, now would we?" says Agatio.

"Wait, you have her remains?" Karst looks at me skeptically and as she speaks her voice wavers just a tiny bit. For a young girl to have such strict control over herself is astounding.

Unnerving, in fact.

"Karst," I say softly, because I don't have the heart to kid, "there aren't any remains." 

She looks at me for a split second, then turns away. "I expected that. Anyway, I don't like this place. I think she should be buried in Prox. That is, if it isn't destroyed before we can get back there." She's cynical, but I can tell she's hurting.

"Sounds good." My voice is little more than a whisper, adding to the weight of the silence. 

Agatio interrupts. "Hate to break up a moment, especially between you two, since I'll probably never see one again, but we have more to do today than stare at each other." 

I agree. "I've been thinking…" 

"You mean you know how?" I glare at Karst briefly but keep going.

"Would it be alright if I accompanied you on your travels? I was planning to simply follow behind you, so I wouldn't have to deal with _her_ all the time but I figure I'll survive. At least I will if you can Karst. Oh, is that alright with you Agatio?"

He shrugs. "It's up to her."

"Just don't cross me…"

-----

Agatio's mysterious (or not, since we all knew who he was referring to) source was reliable, and the highly anticipated battle began two days later. Without me. 

And why? Poor stupid Saturos is being punished for a crime he had no say in. That is, being clumsy. I tripped down the stairs and banged myself up. Not masturbation, we're talking actual pain here. Anyway, I was so injured that I could hardly stand up, and for some reason, Agatio and Karst consider me unable to fight!

How unfair is that?

I wanted to help. I don't particularly like the idea of being stuck as cheerleader. Come on, they're going to save Prox without me?

I imagine that if I had said that out loud and Karst had heard me, she'd say, "Of course. We don't need your help."

Since they're fighting on the roof, I can hear the start of battle and the exchange of nasty words. I long to be there, and able to help. But in my current state, it's simply no use.

Let's go back to the cheerleader idea… or at least spectator. I look around for my invisibility cloak, which I find hanging on a support beam. I guess it's a good thing that they're visible when not being worn. I shroud myself and climb quietly up the stairs, stifling my screams at every stretch of a muscle and crack of a bone. My injuries have not been bandaged or properly treated, seeing as we lack the materials and medicine.

Once on the roof, I see Karst ready to unleash her Death Scythe move upon poor Felix and Piers. She loves that move, probably because it sucks HP like bathing in a tub of leeches sucks blood. After Karst is done hacking at Piers with her giant plastic knife, she stops a moment to pull some strands of blue hair off of it. Heaven forbid it be restrained in the least when slicing through an opponent's neck.

Off to the side are Jenna and Sheba, doing goodness knows what. Is Sheba picking Jenna's nose? Oh, they're just making out. What a relief.

The other thing would have been simply revolting.

Felix makes a dirty scuff mark on Agatio with his physical attack, but that's about all he does. Jenna decides to join the fight and does a little bit of healing. Though, when I say a little bit of healing, I mean a _little_ bit of healing. About enough to keep them on their feet is all.

While at the moment Agatio and Karst are swatting their opponents like flies, I'm not convinced that they have this fight in the bag. These are cunning people and one should never underestimate them twice. I speak of experience.

As if to prove my statement true, dear little Sheba enters quietly onto the scene. Unfortunately for them, Agatio and Karst are too confident and attack with no change in strategy. On the next turn, Sheba summons Eclipse.

Whoa.

An enormous golden dragon appears, hovers menacingly in the air and beams are filtered through its teeth. It unleashes its attack, a sparkling yellow beam, which I swear leaves a noticeable dent in Weyard. Good grief.

Apparently that attack was meant for Agatio, as he is lying on the ground in an unnatural (and presumably very painful) position. Gosh, he could very well have died from that attack, and I find myself very worried. Had I been fighting along side them, I might have considered surrendering just to save Agatio. But this is merciless Karst, and surrender is not an option. Never an option.

Karst continues to attack, up to her last ounce of energy. That girl has true steel nerves. The group of four continues on to light the lighthouse. I feel a chill crawl down my spine when I spot that eerie light, but I ignore it and make my way to where my comrades have fallen. 

They are both still and probably unconscious, and I am at a loss as to exactly what I can do for them. I have no good medicine and as it is, I can barely carry myself up a flight of stairs, let alone drag two leaden figures with me. I doubt I could carry Agatio very far even at perfect health. 

"Can I offer my services?"

I jump at the sound of a familiar voice…

A/N: I love cliff hangers. Review and tell me how mean I am. 


	3. Sticky Situation

A/N: Aloha! ^.^ Thanks for all the reviews, guys. With this update, I will have changed the rating to R. 

Dave - You don't need to embarrass me. Goodness knows the comments about me being "cute" (*shudder*) were enough. You didn't tell any secrets about this, did you?

December (you don't mind me calling you that, right?) - Thanks for checking this out! You might be the only one who isn't disturbed. Then again, there's me. (I don't think I count in this) I like being creative, ya know?

Naomi - Thanks for looking over my story again. :) Such a nice big sister.

Riyn - Good guess, see what happens, ok?

Shadow - How do you know he isn't horny? He could be. I'll pretend he is.

Selena – I'm keeping my formatting. 

Sorry, I don't have comments for everyone except thanks. Thanks for waiting and keep reading!

Until Death Do Us Part

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Delusive Longan

"Alex! You scoundrel! You love sneaking up on me don't you?" Now I _know_ this cloak ain't workin'.

He smirks. "You read me like an open book. So you would like my help in healing these two?"

"Please and thank you." 

"Is that a pretty please and do I get a cherry too?" 

"Get on with it." I grumble. He obliges and in moments, the two are good as new.

"I imagine they're exhausted from the fight, so try not to wake them up. I'll help you carry them downstairs." says Alex with a small smile on his face. He _does_ help me carry them, or rather, he does it all himself. He must be feeling incredibly kind today, for when he is finished he helps me down too.

I'll admit I enjoy being carried in the arms of well-built muscle men.

I sit down gingerly, leaning against a support beam. Alex sits opposite of me, against the other support beam a few feet away. 

"So… what brings you around here?" I ask. I have my guesses, but I'm curious as to what he'll say.

He thinks about it awhile. "Let's say this; I'm not visiting for purely social reasons." I figured he wouldn't reveal anything more, so I didn't bother prying. 

"And you answer this Saturos: What brings you back from the dead?"

Why does everyone think I'm dead?! I glare at him and he smirks like there's no tomorrow. Which, if he keeps it up, there won't be one for him.

His expression changes to a slightly amused smile. "How'd you get injured anyway? I didn't see you fighting." I grumbled.

"I fell down the stairs…" This sends him into hysterical laughter. "Oh that reminds me! I can heal you." 

He finishes healing. "No wonder Menardi chose to travel with you. And why Agatio likes you. Also, why Karst doesn't."

"What?" I don't get it.

"You're fun to be around. You know that, don't you?" This guy has a permanent smile on his face, always a grin of some sort.

"I've never been told."

He sweeps his hair over his shoulder and settles into a more comfortable position. 

"I can't believe Felix and Sheba managed to defeat Agatio and Karst. Well, with help, but that Piers…" I study Alex's expression. 

"If he's trying to be prettier than me, he's got a long way to go."

Personally, I think Piers is fairly good-looking, but Alex is… _so right_. He gives me a knowing wink and loosely tosses his beautiful, soft blue hair.

He makes me feel self-conscious. 

"What are your plans after this?" he asks. 

I shrug. "It's up to them I guess." I gesture to my sleeping partners. "I don't have much of a purpose." Why I bother to remain on this earth is beyond me.

"You mean to tell me you don't have a goal? What's going to happen after the whole Prox issue is settled? Because I'd say that's your current goal."

"Huh?" I forgot all about Prox. His hair has ensnared my attention and it won't let go. 

"Saturos." Alex says my name smoothly (I bet even as an adolescent he never experienced voice cracking) and beckons me with his index finger.

I get up slowly and sit down in front of him, but he wants me closer. I squat beside him and he whispers into my ear.

"I can't think of a more roundabout way of putting this, so here goes: I want to get into your pants."

"Funny, that's exactly what I was thinking…"

And needless to say, he got what he wanted.

-----

I figure a few hours have passed when I wake up. Alex is fully clothed (pity) and calmly chatting with Karst. I yawn and stretch, noticing out of the corner of my eye that Agatio is staring at me.

I look down at the floor. Hey, how'd it get clean? It was a mess when we finished… 

I stop thinking about it.

"I believe the easiest way of obtaining your goal is to find a way to gain more strength. What do you think of dragons, Karst?" I love Alex's voice. It's so sultry and his moans are like satin… 

I _really_ have to stop thinking about stuff like this.

She raises an eyebrow at the idea of dragons and he continues. "I happened to come along potions that will turn you into a dragon of your type. You are both Mars adepts and will become Flame Dragons should you choose to ingest it."

I notice that all the decisions are made by Karst. Agatio has no say in it, and I don't think it matters to him. He must trust her a lot.

"You'll drink these right before battle, understood?"

"Yes."

"Wait," says Agatio, "Is there any way to reverse the process?"

"Truthfully, I don't know. I haven't met anyone who wanted to revert to their weaker form." replied Alex. "Well, I see Saturos has woken up. Did you rest well?" I nod.

Karst turned back to Alex. "I assume you healed him. At any rate, since you're healed now, you'll be helping in battle. Alex, do you have any more of those potions?"

"Sorry, fresh out. As compensation, I'll offer my support in battle. How does that sound?"

Karst thinks it over. She probably wants his help, but she's got to take into consideration Agatio. (I'd love it if Alex hung around but Karst couldn't care less about benefiting me.) Agatio and Alex can work together if absolutely necessary, but when given the choice, they won't.

This is when I realize what I've gotten myself into. Bedding polar opposites has put me in a sticky situation…

Oh well.

A/N: Your review may brighten up my day. Or maybe I'll just turn the lamp on.


	4. Childhood

A/N: It's kind of a short chapter. Hi everyone. Still there?

Until Death Do Us Part

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Delusive Longan

Since we needed to get to the Mars Lighthouse before Felix and the others, Alex suggested traveling by sea, on a boat. That was, as far as we could get until the waters froze. It was a bad experience. Although Alex tried to get a decent vessel (I wonder what ever happened to my old boat?), the other two Proxian Fire Adepts weren't really used to the rocking waves.

Thank goodness for ginger.

Plus, it was funny when Agatio got sick. He couldn't really turn any greener…

The sight of the Mars Lighthouse comforted me. After all, it's my element and it means we're really close to Prox.

Alex was rather eager to light the lighthouse and be done with it, but Karst wanted some battle action. Agatio, as usual, didn't care.

Karst's wishes came true when Felix and co. appeared just a few hours later. Finally! I was getting bored.

"Saturos," Alex whispered, "I think we should stay out of this. It's their fight, after all."

"What are you talking about? You saw how they got whipped last time."

He looked at me. "This time they have the Elemental Dragon potions. They can beat them with their eyes closed and their hands tied behind their backs. Promise. They'll be fine!"

"If you say so… I guess it's a matter of pride."

"In the mean time, we'll do more _pleasurable_ activities. How does that sound?" He smirks and waggles his eyebrows suggesting just what activities he alludes to. 

"I thought you promised to help them out."

"… I'll make it up to them. Alright?" And with that, I am resigned to be content.

We sneak into a room a few floors down and are nearly done undressing when I realize that the sounds have stopped and the roof no longer shakes with Psyenergy blasts.

"What's the matter?" asks Alex as I stop reciprocating the kiss.

I tell him what's on my mind and he thinks about it for a moment. "We need to leave. I hate to stop in the middle of things, but I promise we'll continue later."

"What do you think happened?" I ask.

He doesn't answer me. Soon we're dressed again and Alex leads me to a rune that's used for a Teleport Lazuli. He grabs the gem, steps on the rune, and grabs my arm to come with him. 

That's right; we're running away. I'm not sure about what's happened and why exactly we have to flee, but I'll follow Alex anywhere. To the ends of the earth if necessary.

Aww. That's cute.

Alex and I find ourselves in Garoh. There's nothing unusual about the place at all. In fact, it's so normal I'm beginning to think they're hiding some huge secret.

I must be imagining things.

We find an abandoned shack on the outskirts of the village and move in. It's not the cleanest place I've seen, but it's reasonable. We keep to ourselves for a few days then Alex takes off, attending to some affairs.

I am left all alone and have nothing better to do than clean the house. The windows are smashed but I can't go into town and purchase new ones. I wonder if we'll even stay long enough for the repair to be necessary. 

I can easily take care of household things. I grew up as the only male in a household of women, adopted by one of the five sisters in the family, a fairly young widow who had lost her children to disease. In fact, my mother had suffered from the disease herself and was not the pretty girl of her youth. Not that Proxians are ever that pretty.

When the children of the village made fun of me for being what I was, a rather effeminate boy and child of a lady who sold all the mirrors in the house… well, I got into fights constantly. And I used to lose them all the time.

I eventually got fed up…

A knock on the door interrupts my thoughts. A very loud knock, like a thud, which I'm surprised doesn't shake the entire house and send the door flying off its hinges.

Agatio.

In a very sorry state.

"What the hell happened to you?!" I ask, halfway surprised at my angry tone. I should be helping him, not reprimanding him. He falls over and I lead him on to the bed.

"Well, I didn't get these injuries from falling down the stairs." Normally I would have hit him for a comment like that but I decided he didn't need more bruises. I just glared.

"Where's that two-timing jerk Alex?" He looks around. "Nice place you got here."

"Uh-huh…" I don't know what to say. I can't be angry, and shoot! Why don't I ever have medicine and healing supplies around? You'd think someone as accident-prone as I am would definitely have stuff like that around. 

Well, ok, I live with a healer. That usually covers it.

"Why is he a two-timing jerk?" I ask.

"You just refuse to believe anything bad about him, don't you? Do you know where he's been? I assume that's what he's doing now."

"What are you talking about? And no, I have no idea where he is." There are too many unanswered questions.

"He's helping both sides. He's a traitor to us and he's a traitor to them. Plus, he promised to help us fight Felix, but did he?" I felt my skin burn up in an unpleasant way.

"Those potions didn't help either. Notice that I'm in this body. We still lost… and…" He paused and looked at his hands.

"Karst is dead."

****

A/N: You probably expected that. Anyway, there's more to come!


	5. In My Element

A/N: I like to call this my "bombshell" chapter. I think you'll see why soon enough. It may be short, but it's got great impact. *wicked grin* Enjoy! (If you _can_…)

Until Death Do Us Part

****

Delusive Longan

I couldn't breathe for a few moments. He pushed me on the shoulder to bring me back to attention.

I sit down on the edge of the bed and trace my finger along a scar on his leg. His bandaging looks as if it was done in the dark and when he was cramped for time. That could have been the case, really.

"Can you tell me what happened at the battle?" I don't know if I want to hear it, but there's something I obviously need to know.

"Not a thing. Not a damn thing."

"So you're not going to tell me? You lost, right?"

Agatio glares at me. "That's a stupid question, yes we lost! The only reason I bothered looking for you is to find Alex and tell him what I think of him… with my fists."

Ooh.

Alex walks through the door. He normally makes quiet entrances, but creaky door hinges kind of spoil that. 

"Well, well, hello there Agatio. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"You weren't expecting to see me alive, were you?"

Alex strokes his chin. "No, not really."

"I'm here to fight you," says Agatio, practically growling.

"Now why ever would you want to do that? In your current state?" Alex obviously doesn't believe him.

"Yes. I'll beat you too," Agatio stands up. Alex chuckles, amused by something.

In fact, I am terrified. Agatio treats me like dirt most of the time, but I will always owe him more than I can repay. 

I wasn't a natural born fighter. I had to have someone teach me how to stand up for myself. That's where Agatio came in. Strongest of the Fire Clan, I figured I couldn't get a better teacher. 

He mostly taught me physical attacks, our Psyenergy attacks are unique, but it still helped a great deal. And after a while, I didn't get picked on anymore.

I drift back into the real world and notice that Alex and Agatio aren't there. I rush outside and look around. Sure enough, they snuck away while I was daydreaming. Dangit!

From behind me I hear a loud thwack. I turn around just in time to see Agatio catch Alex's unmoving body in his arms.

I gape. 

"Before you get upset about me killing your boyfriend, I better explain something to you."

He… Alex is dead? I try clamping my mouth shut. No response.

Agatio swallows. "Do you have a shovel? I'm not trying to mock him, not matter how mad I was. Just help me dig a grave."

I had faced the shock of losing my loved ones before. That cute little brat Karst was dead… now Alex? I remembered my mother and Menardi.

How could I lose him?

I felt stiff and unmoving as I grabbed the shovel. Upon careful thought, I brought a piece of wood that had come off the frame of the house to use as a grave marker.

It goes without saying that we walked in silence. Something in the back of my mind pointed out that I was going to bury my lover with help from the man who killed him. That can not possibly be a typical scenario.

I wanted to know what would possess Agatio to do it. The question I wanted answered most was "why?". 

"This is a good spot." I stopped, dropping the shovel and board on the ground. Agatio did all the digging. I suppose I was very glad he would do that. Out of consideration of some sort for the dead. His victim.

I first worked with Alex to light the lighthouses, so that Menardi could have her way. It was what Alex wanted too. I didn't care that much. So why did I help them? I had a crush on Alex. I was dealing with my feelings for guys, the ones that others considered different, or wrong. So I traveled with Menardi to keep safe from those feelings.

She was my friend. She had weird goals, but she was my friend.

Agatio finished digging. He was about to pick Alex up but I asked him if I could lay him to rest. I did not turn to face him when I spoke.

I knew he could not possibly refuse.

Alex was really heavy, his body taller than mine, but of course, I dealt with it. His body was cold as I picked him up. His hair swayed, touching my fingertips.

I held Alex for the last time. I even broke down enough to let his element drip from my eyes. I brushed my tears away from his face and kissed his cheek.

I ignored Agatio's stare.

I did my first job of laying him down and Agatio filled the grave. It was time to complete my second task, which was to place the grave marker. I also gave him a simple blessing, for him to do well in a place away from earth.

Last duty? I cried.

A/N: When the flamers kill me, I wanna be buried next to Alex. *laughs like crazy*


	6. His Tears

A/N: There are only seven chapters in this story. I hope you didn't get too attached. Anyway, this chapter doesn't have much in the way of plot, but you still have to read it. (If you didn't know, I had written the entire story before posting chapter one.)

Until Death Do Us Part

****

Delusive Longan

If Agatio had asked to stay at our— my place, it would have been like asking me to stop mourning Alex and forgive him. If he had tried to sleep in the bed Alex and I had shared, I don't know what I would have done.

Actually, I do know what I would have done. Thank god I have a strong will, or Alex would be really unhappy with me.

Agatio came back in the morning. Apparently he planned what he was going to say. Yes, spontaneous would have been meaningful, but get real; this is Agatio, and he will _never_ change overnight.

Nothing changes over night. No feelings anyway.

"I'm sorry."

Grief, Agatio, you have no idea.

"He just made me so mad…"

There's something called anger management. Try it.

Agatio walks up to me and lifts my chin so I'm looking right at him. Naturally, I turn away.

"I did it because I was jealous of him and… I wanted you all for myself."

At this moment, I want to be struck down by lightning. I make the mistake of looking up at him. What I see astounds me.

His eyes are wet with tears. He uses his fists to wipe them away, probably trying to look tough.

I hate him. I cannot forgive him. Why isn't life neat and tidy when it comes to personal matters?

Please stop crying.

My heart hardens again and I ask him to tell me what he knew about Alex. I'm slowly picking at the answer to my question.

"I told you he wasn't completely on our side. Karst spotted him following Felix. Besides, he didn't keep his promises. There is nothing less honorable than someone who doesn't keep his promises."

"You know, he saved your life once." I point out.

"I know." 

"Then how could you take his?!" I was getting angrier by the moment.

"I just… Saturos…" Agatio looked down at the floor. "It's too hard for me to explain."

I decided I didn't care to talk about this anymore. It wasn't going to get settled for a very long time.

"How did Karst get killed?"

He spoke somberly. "They focused all their energy on her. She simply couldn't defend against all the attacks. She did try though."

"I know she wouldn't give up without a fight."

"Yeah."

I sat down on a chair that looked like it was barely able to support its own weight, but it held me up. I waited until Agatio had had his fill of awkward silence.

Finally, he turned for the door. "Karst is buried in Prox. If you want to see her grave, I'll point it out. Just ask."

"Sure." He closed the door gently (with a squeak) behind him and left me alone in my cheerless, broken-down house. As if Garoh weren't creepy enough.

__

I know his spirit still lingers here.

-----

It might have been a week or two later until I could face the world. I had my share of mourning and I was completely sick of it. I was still haunted by Alex and Karst's deaths, but it was time to move on.

I knew I'd always miss them. I just couldn't stop living my life. 

I did not have Karst's fanatical level of hate. I knew she could kill Isaac, but I couldn't kill Agatio. It was different, of course. Different circumstances.

Agatio was still in Garoh. I found him on the opposite edge of town from where I was. He didn't seem awfully surprised to see me.

"Do you want to go to Prox?"

"That's why I'm here."

"Are you ready to forgive me?"

"To a degree." He went inside his lovely little hut and grabbed a sack of important travel things. I noticed that his hut, while smaller, it was in better shape than my place. I had my supply bag in hand and we set off.

He led me to the shore of the island. Oh…

"MY SHIP!!! I missed you, baby… how are you?" Agatio shook his head as I engaged in a one sided conversation with an inanimate ship. Forget suggesting the use of a Teleport Lazuli again…

"Where'd you find her, Agatio? Aww… she's more beautiful then I remembered."

He sighs. "I happened upon it while sailing here. I had ridden on a ship from some trustworthy stranger."

"You fixed it up?" I asked.

"Yeah, it really needed it. But it's great now."

"Ooh! I can't wait, come on!" I pulled his arm and ran to the ship. He may have been smiling at my crazy enthusiasm, but I didn't spare time to look behind me.

I was thrilled to see my companion again. My ship, I mean. We set off right away. After general crew duties were completed (after all, the crew consisted of only two people and both of us had to pitch in), I wandered around, admiring the vessel.

In fact, I was very brave. I looked out the window. 

It wasn't that I got seasick like Agatio does. It was more that water is so… 

Does everything have to remind me of him?

Agatio is awfully sneaky for such a big guy. He taps me on the shoulder and I nearly slam into the roof.

I collect my wits. "You surprised me."

"That was my intent. Just came down to let you know that we'll be landing pretty shortly. I'll need help when we dock, alright?"

"Sure." I shivered slightly. It's true that I may have grown up in Prox where it's always cold, but I was always properly dressed. I actually hate being cold.

Is that ironic or what? Prox is the cold, frozen home of the Proxian fire adepts.

Hey, at least we can't burn the place down.

I walk up the stairs, on to the deck, and help Agatio, all the while admiring the beautiful mountains of Prox. Welcome home, Saturos, they call.

A/N: Stay tuned for the final chapter and see what happens! (Don't touch that remote…)


	7. Help Me Live Again

A/N: This is the last chapter. I've been pretty proud of this story. Anyway, you don't care… Just read! 

Until Death Do Us Part

****

Delusive Longan

I regret to say that we did not walk through the main streets of Prox and visit our old friends. Our old friends probably wanted to poke stakes through our heads. Instead we took a roundabout way to get to Karst's grave.

I had forgotten how much fun it was to tread through 8-inch piles of snow with one thin layer of clothing on your back.

Agatio, with his impeccable taste (*cough*), picked a lovely spot, a small grove at on the northwestern side of town. I saw a quickly nailed together cross in the ground, at the head of a mound. 

I cleared away some snow and kneeled in front of the grave. 

"I miss you," I start, "I miss being picked on by you. At least you'll be with your sister…" 

//Nah. Not yet. Call me one of those affixed spirits.//

I looked up. Standing on the grave marker is none other than a see-through Karst. Still adorable as ever.

"Oh my god…"

"What?" asked Agatio.

"Eh… nothing!"

She stared at me and sent a telepathic message. //Actually, I'll give you some credit, moron, since you showed up. Anyway…// She pauses.

//I heard about Alex.// 

I nod slightly. //I still can't believe Agatio would—"//

//I can. He's in love with you.//

I shrug.

//Plus, he hated Alex. Look, Saturos, you have to forgive the big lummox. You know as well as I do that he can't express his feelings. At least not sensitive ones.//

//Yeah, well, maybe I can't do that!// I grit my teeth. //It's never going to be the same. He took my chance at love away…//

//You can't seriously think that. Alex would have ended up betraying you or cheating on you just like he did with everyone else. I still think anyone who likes you is out of their mind, but hey, it's something personal…//

I ignore practically all of that.

//Don't ignore me! Alex never learned the meaning of the word loyalty. Look, I have a theory about Agatio's logic. He may have thought something similar to what you did, that you and Alex would be together forever, or crap like that. Maybe he wanted to be with you so much that he couldn't bear the pain of seeing you two together.//

I raised my eyebrow.

//Yeah, gag me. Still, it's likely that he used the excuse of Alex's backstabbing and all that. Please give him a chance. After all, you can't lead a life with a dead guy by your side.// She stared at me until I averted my eyes.

I had nearly forgotten how intense Karst's eyes could be. Just like Menardi's. 

I turned to Agatio. "We need a stake or a cross… for Menardi." He nodded, pulling out an already made cross and handing it to me. 

"We could make another one for Karst, to match Menardi's." I nodded and we walked back to the ship. We returned with two appropriately sized boards and I nailed them together.

Karst grinned. //Thank you. The markers look really nice.// She jumped off of hers so I could replace it. Agatio threw me a shovel and we dug a reasonably sized pit for Menardi, though we had nothing to place in it. We filled it back up and Agatio placed the cross at the head of her grave.

I waved goodbye to Karst, not caring whether Agatio thought I was crazy or not.

In fact, I probably am crazy. Seeing ghosts, communicating with one mentally, and not being able to get her voice out of my head. Although those were all fairly good reasons to be considered delusive, I am truly insane because I'm actually considering forgiving Agatio.

//Remember, Saturos, you can't hate him forever.// said Karst telepathically.

//You hated Isaac nearly all your life.// I pointed out.

//I thought I'd have a lot longer to go. Don't regret missing out on another chance at life, ok?//

I turned my back and Agatio led the way.

-----

As we walk back to the ship, my illogical mind produces a solution to my problem of what to do with the rest of my life. Hey, at least it'll buy me a day or two, and I'll tackle it again later.

I lie and tell Agatio that I'd like to go back to Garoh and retrieve an item. He doesn't bother asking what, because he's humoring me. I know he wants an excuse to hang around me, and I just gave him a good one. 

We board the ship. I'm not sure whether to consider it mine, his, or ours. We set sail and I stand on deck, leaning against a railing, simply watching the waves roll around. Agatio avoids looking out, but accompanies me on the deck.

I'm about to ask him about the lighthouses, but he interrupts by saying that we're encountering fog and to top it that off, a storm may be in the make. Great. We prep the boat and take down the mail sail, just in case, and go below deck. Soon the skies turn grey and it starts pouring rain. We can hear the rain pounding on the deck above us.

"What happened with the lighthouses?" I ask Agatio, not quite out of the blue. 

I wait for a response. "Oh, sorry. I was sort of preoccupied. I think we need to check on the boat."

We get on to the deck and find that the rainfall has become much lighter. We attend to the ship then I ask him again. "Do you care about Prox anymore?"

"Well, sure," Agatio speaks as he ties a secure knot, "We both have family there, so you should know how I feel."

"Are you still going to try to light the lighthouses?"

"They're already lit. Think about it Saturos. It wouldn't have taken much time after they defeated us to get to the top and light it. Prox is still standing."

"So… there's no more danger? Or does this mean the world is to be destroyed?"

"I believe since we're still in existence, the Golden Age has arrived."

"Aw, you jest."

"No, Saturos, I'm serious." My jaw drops at his words. For added effect, the skies decide to make the rain pick up its pace, and we are drenched before we can get down the stairs again. We find blankets and try to wipe ourselves dry. I take off my wet clothes and Agatio does the same. Neither of us are bashful.

I wonder if he's checking me out?

I turn away so he doesn't see the blush that has crossed my face. We find dry clothes, but I still feel cold with the wind chills. Agatio wraps his arms around me, and while he is as cold as I am, there is something about being in a person's embrace that always warms you.

It's close to perfect.

I smile. "So this is the Golden Age, eh?"

A/N: What did you think of the ending? I dunno, it hit me somewhere in the heart. Or the gut? Hehe. Leave me a review, something sweet. I like whipped cream. (Any suitors, keep that in mind. *laughs deliriously*)


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